Mike Brannigan's illustrious high school cross country career came to an end Saturday, when the Northport senior placed 18th in the Foot Locker boys championship in 16 minutes, 1.6 seconds. Brannigan fell eight spots shy of earning his second straight trip to nationals but earned third team All-Northeast honors.

The berth marks the second consecutive year Long Island will send a boys team to the national meet. Northport went last season. It is the first time St. Anthony's has made the year-ending race, coach Tim Dearie said.

After a seventh-place finish in the Class A race at last week's New York State Public School Championships, Brannigan came back to win the Federation title, running the 5K course in 15 minutes, 30.4 seconds.

Northport's Michael Brannigan, the reigning Suffolk Class A champion, led the way for Long Island in the state public schools boys cross country championships Saturday in Canton. Brannigan was seventh (15:54). Sachem North finished fourth in Class A.

Patrick Tucker won the 5-kilometer race in 16 minutes, 30.12 seconds. Frederick Buckholtz was second in 16:36.35. Ryan Kutch finished third in 16:47.55. Ryan Dearie was fourth in 16:53.53 and Michael O'Leary was fifth in 17:05.04.

It would be hard to top Tyler Italiano's weekend. One day after his 17th birthday, the Syosset senior won his second consecutive Class I championship at the Nassau Class County Championships, held Saturday at Bethpage State Park.

Joshua Hadity from Commack, that is. The senior won the 5k championship race in 16 minutes, 32.15 seconds Tuesday. Hadity topped Port Jefferson's James Burke, who finished second in 16:44.62 and Northport's Mike Brannigan, who was third in 16:49.62.

Though the long and winding path toward a Nassau County title has just begun, Michael Grady certainly has East Meadow pointed in the right direction. The senior won in 13 minutes, 2 seconds on the 4-kilometer course at Bethpage State Park in a Conference I race at the Nassau Triangular Meet on Monday. The time was the fastest of the day among all Nassau boys, coach Mike Ringhauser said.

After three years of contributing to Northport's quest for Long Island dominance -- something the Tigers accomplished last year by becoming the first Island boys teams to qualify for Nike Cross Nationals -- Brannigan now is free to focus on Brannigan.

Northport's boys cross country team dominated the Class A race at the Suffolk boys cross country state qualifying meet yesterday at Sunken Meadow State Park, securing a trip to Queensbury High School for Saturday's state meet.

Syosset's Tyler Italiano is the best of the best, and the fastest of the fast, in Nassau County. No matter the class or league, it became clear as he strode all alone down the final straightaway that the junior is on a level altogether different from that of his peers.

The boys cross-country team defeated Bay Shore yesterday to even their record at 1-1. Veterans Jamison Sherretss, Ryan Pence, and James McKeever lead the way while several key performances were turned in by newcomers Michael Sardi and Greg Phillips. Other personal bests were turned in by Kevin Mckeown, Marc Dubicki, and Brendan Anderson.

Helping his Northport team repeat as Suffolk team champions wasn't enough for Mikey Brannigan. The sophomore hadn't won a 5k race all season, and he wanted nothing more than to break his own winless drought, as well.